Foreign Languages

Welcome! Soyez les bienvenus! ¡Bienvenidos! to Foreign Languages at Manchester Community College!

The goals of the foreign language programs of French, Spanish, and ESL (English as a Second Language) at Manchester Community College are:

To promote the study of foreign languages as a rewarding and enriching experience, and to increase the awareness of, and appreciation for other cultures in the college and community;

To provide the students with a strong foundation in the four language skills of speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing by giving them the tools necessary for communication;

To teach students to compare and contrast languages and cultures; thereby, permitting them to explore similarities and differences, and to help them discover new ways of viewing the world;

To enable the students to become more aware of cultures other than their own, and the cultural diversity within their own communities both local and global, by forming connections to, and appreciation of other languages, thoughts and customs.

Contact Information

ESL
Professor Diana R. Hossain
Tower 409
Phone: 860-512-2678

French
Professor Barbara Place
Tower 415
Phone: 860-512-2698

Spanish
Professor Linda J. Burk, Ph.D.
Tower 408
Phone: 860-512-2684

Foreign Language Lab

The Manchester Community College Foreign Language Lab/Classroom, which is used for ESL, French, and Spanish courses, is located on the second floor of the Learning Resource Center in B210.

For foreign language study, a language lab increases geometrically the amount of time students can communicate and practice the language one-on-one.   The technology provides more opportunities for language students to do independent study, to do course enrichment and to work at their own pace.  

The MCC Language Lab permits students to access course audio and video files at their own pace, allowing them to stop and start the programs according to their abilities and learning styles.   Students practice pronunciation by listening to the model, recording their own voices, and then comparing their speech to the model in playback.

The Lab offers enhanced opportunities for communication practice through pair and group functions.   At the same time, the Language Lab provides for one-on-one teacher/student interaction.   Using this aspect of the system the teacher can listen to individual students and provide feedback and instruction.

The library mode allows students from other language classes to access the audio and video files when there are available stations in a classroom, even when there is a class in session. The use of a screen image designed to replicate a conventional tape recorder makes the lab easy to use even for students who don't have computer skills.

The computers enhance learning about the culture and peoples of the target language countries by allowing students to access the internet and to exchange email with native speakers.   Students are able to do on-line research on topics related to course content through research over a wide range of informative and educational sites.

Manchester Community College is highly committed to taking advantage of the benefits technology can bring to instruction, and to providing our students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the latest in technology in order to better prepare them for the modern workplace.   To this end, the Language Lab can increase efficiency in language acquisition, can improve effectiveness of instruction, and can provide greater opportunities for exploration of culture and communication through access to international resources.   The Language Lab enhances teaching and facilitates learning by expanding the ways material is presented.